Armenian leader to be invited to Baku event
The new Armenian leader to be elected at the February 19 poll will
be invited to Baku afterwards, an executive of the European
Commission-funded project says.
A decision was passed during a conference held in Astana, Kazakhstan earlier this month that the tenth summit of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia transport corridor (TRACECA) project will be held in Baku in September 2008. Under existing regulations, the president of the country hosting the event is required to send invitations to the leaders of the other participating states. Only in exceptional cases does the European Union interfere with the matter and work to ensure the attendance of representatives who had not been invited.
The national secretary of the TRACECA intergovernmental commission, Akif Mustafayev, told Radio Liberty that the Armenian side initially opposed the conduct of the jubilee summit in Baku. However, after another bidder - Kazakhstan - withdrew its candidacy, it was left with no choice but to accept the decision.
Mustafayev said that Azerbaijan, on its end, has pledged to comply with all standing regulations on holding the event. He recalled that the Armenian president was invited to the first TRACECA summit that was held in the Azerbaijani capital in 1998, but the country's prime minister attended instead.
"Compared to that time the current situation is relatively mild. Peace talks [on settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict] are under way, and Azerbaijani and Armenian heads of state and foreign ministers hold meetings in different cities. Armenia participates in international functions held in Baku on other levels as well. We thereby see no problem with organizing the upcoming summit."
The TRACECA summit to draw leaders of over 30 countries could become the year's main political event in Azerbaijan's political life.
Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia are participating in the TRACECA project. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt and Korea have expressed their willingness to join it as well.
A decision was passed during a conference held in Astana, Kazakhstan earlier this month that the tenth summit of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia transport corridor (TRACECA) project will be held in Baku in September 2008. Under existing regulations, the president of the country hosting the event is required to send invitations to the leaders of the other participating states. Only in exceptional cases does the European Union interfere with the matter and work to ensure the attendance of representatives who had not been invited.
The national secretary of the TRACECA intergovernmental commission, Akif Mustafayev, told Radio Liberty that the Armenian side initially opposed the conduct of the jubilee summit in Baku. However, after another bidder - Kazakhstan - withdrew its candidacy, it was left with no choice but to accept the decision.
Mustafayev said that Azerbaijan, on its end, has pledged to comply with all standing regulations on holding the event. He recalled that the Armenian president was invited to the first TRACECA summit that was held in the Azerbaijani capital in 1998, but the country's prime minister attended instead.
"Compared to that time the current situation is relatively mild. Peace talks [on settlement to the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict] are under way, and Azerbaijani and Armenian heads of state and foreign ministers hold meetings in different cities. Armenia participates in international functions held in Baku on other levels as well. We thereby see no problem with organizing the upcoming summit."
The TRACECA summit to draw leaders of over 30 countries could become the year's main political event in Azerbaijan's political life.
Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia are participating in the TRACECA project. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt and Korea have expressed their willingness to join it as well.
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